Ohnoki narrowed his eyes and glanced at the Kazekage beside him.
"Hey, Fourth Kazekage, you seem to be hiding something. Got a story to share?"
The Third Kazekage frowned and responded coldly, "Don't meddle in the Hidden Sand's affairs. Mind your own business."
Meanwhile, Gaara silently watched the screen, his expression unreadable.
He understood all too well the pain Naruto was experiencing—
The pain of being a Jinchūriki.
Unlike Naruto, Gaara's suffering was even deeper.
He'd lived under constant surveillance, always on edge, always guarded…
Even against his own father.
After all, the Fourth Kazekage had once tried to assassinate him.
Though, in this alternate world, things had changed.
He'd gone berserk, yes—but Naruto's fists had brought him clarity.
A wake-up call that made him rethink everything.
Even if he had turned over a new leaf...
The memories still hurt.
Even just remembering them twisted something deep inside.
In this so-called peaceful world,
Where people were supposed to understand one another…
Was that truly possible?
He and Naruto—both Jinchūriki—had walked similar paths.
They'd grown, learned, and come to stand together in the same light.
But what if...
What if he met a different Naruto from another world?
Would that Naruto mirror the same pain?
Or would he reflect a deeper darkness, amplified and terrifying?
Gaara unconsciously clutched his chest.
Because within the heart—
Lurks a place where even the brightest light cannot reach.
---
[DING!]
[Congratulations to Uzumaki Kushina for answering correctly. The reward: "Resurrection of the Dead" will be granted once the viewing system ends!]
[Congratulations to Sarutobi Hiruzen for answering correctly. You have earned the "Group Silencing Technique." You may silence one person in the viewing system for one hour, up to three times.]
---
Pure Land Realm
Uzumaki Kushina stared at the glowing screen, her breath catching in her throat.
She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Again. And again.
This wasn't a dream.
This was real!
Was she really… coming back to life?
She broke into a joyful, almost tearful laugh.
"Minato! Did you see that? I'm going to be resurrected!"
Minato gave her a warm smile.
"Congratulations, Kushina. That's… wonderful."
Naruto's eyes widened, his voice trembling with hope.
"So… I'm going to have a mom again?"
Kushina's tone softened.
"Silly child… You've always had a mom."
Then her face hardened slightly, her Uzumaki spirit igniting.
"But when I return, those people in Konoha who bullied you—
None of them will be able to escape!
I'll tear down every store they own!"
Yes.
Konoha's legendary "Red-Hot Habanero" wasn't just all talk.
She was a storm in human form.
Strong, fierce, and fueled by Uzumaki blood—
Few dared stand against her.
Kushina turned her attention to another matter.
"Oh right! That Hyuga Hiashi—
Now that I'm alive again, have you reconsidered the marriage between your daughter Hinata and my son Naruto?"
Hinata's face flushed scarlet.
Weren't they just talking about dating a while ago?
How did it escalate straight to marriage?!
Still…
If it was with Naruto-kun...
Marriage didn't sound so bad.
---
Hyuga Hiashi blinked in astonishment.
Marriage? Wait—wasn't that just a casual comment?
He never expected the dead to be literally resurrected!
This system… just makes anything happen!
Now he was stuck.
The Uzumaki Clan—
Once a prestigious and powerful lineage—
Was now rarer than pandas.
And just like pandas, everyone wanted to "study" them—
To learn the secret behind their immense vitality.
Kushina's return was no small matter.
And now she was already talking about family alliances?
Hiashi couldn't help but feel the pressure.
---
Right now, the spotlight shifted to the Sarutobi Clan.
Though the Third Hokage had passed on,
His lineage continued—
With Sarutobi Asuma still alive, and Konohamaru growing fast.
Wasn't it clear?
Konohamaru was being groomed for the Hokage seat.
Just look at his upbringing.
Assigned to Special Jōnin Ebisu—
A man often mistaken for weak, but who actually specialized in teaching.
"Learning from me is the quickest way to become Hokage!" he'd once declared.
And he wasn't wrong.
As a child, Konohamaru had been mischievous and troublesome.
But Ebisu never gave up on him.
Even after Hiruzen's death,
Ebisu continued teaching with dedication.
Konohamaru's later feats spoke volumes—
Including the time he defeated a Pain clone solo.
Clearly, Ebisu's teaching wasn't to be underestimated.
In fact, some might argue…
He was even better than Kakashi at training.
---
Remember what Kakashi taught Naruto?
How to use chakra to climb trees.
It took Naruto several days to reach the top.
Sasuke too, despite being the so-called Uchiha genius.
And Naruto had the Nine-Tails interfering with his chakra!
Meanwhile, Ebisu had analyzed Naruto's chakra control issues early on.
Despite disliking him, he still helped.
When it came to walking on water,
Ebisu taught Naruto the technique in half a day.
Half a day!
Even with Orochimaru's chakra tampering with Naruto at the time.
That kind of insight…
Deserves credit.
And Ebisu stayed as Konohamaru's mentor for years.
Surely, that was part of Hiruzen's plan to raise a future Hokage.
Now compare that to Naruto's lonely upbringing.
Not a single decent teacher early on.
No one even cared after he joined the Academy.
---
Hyuga Hiashi's position as clan leader was now more precarious than ever.
After the Uchiha clan's downfall,
All eyes were on the Hyuga as the next most powerful bloodline in Konoha.
He had to tread carefully.
One wrong step and he might endanger his entire family.
So Kushina wasn't offended when he hesitated to answer.
She understood the politics all too well.
When she and Minato were still alive,
There had already been unrest regarding the Uchiha.
The village had started excluding them.
She remembered the hidden agendas, the whispers in dark corridors,
The manipulations of Konoha's so-called high-ranking officials.
Now?
Now she was back.
Everything would change.
Minato would likely return too.
And with the Third Hokage gone...
Minato could finally take charge without resistance.
She smirked inwardly.
Hinata not marrying Naruto?
Heh.
She'd see to it personally.
---
As she mused, the system's voice echoed again.
[DING!]
[Orochimaru has answered incorrectly. Penalty: A random seal will be placed on one of your three remaining legs.]
Everyone froze.
"…Huh?"
"…Wait, what?"
"…What does that even mean?"
Temari blinked. "Three legs?"
Karin looked away, face flushed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"Orochimaru, care to explain? What exactly are these 'three legs'? And which one got sealed?"
Orochimaru cleared his throat.
"Hiruzen-sensei… You seem rather eager to know."
Hiruzen shrugged.
"Anxious? Me? Nooo… I just happened to guess correctly! (Heh heh!)"
Orochimaru rolled his eyes.
"Ahem. To clarify—the system meant my feet and… tail. It randomly sealed my right foot."
He glanced toward Kabuto.
Kabuto blinked and looked him up and down.
"But… your right foot seems fine?
And your left foot is also fine…?"
A brief pause.
Kabuto's eyes widened.
"…Wait. Does that mean—"
"Uh, Kabuto. Why don't you step outside for a bit?" Orochimaru quickly interrupted.
Kabuto crossed his arms.
"If I could walk, I would've gone to bring Sasuke back already, Orochimaru-sama."
Orochimaru went silent.
Right. He could barely move now.
Especially that part of his body…
This system was downright cruel.
Sealing that?
Ridiculous.
Just what kind of grudge does this system have against him?
---
To Be Continued...
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